My experience with MJT custom bodies - pros, cons, overall thoughts.

Great video !! And my friend has had a few mjt based guitars & there pretty nice !!

Nice to the point video here. I had an ice blue metallic nitro MTJ telecaster body. My experience with MJT wasn't bad. It was a great body and I ended up beating it to shit. I sold it and broke even with it, which was nice given how much it aged. Although it was well made to begin with, I preferred my fender road worn nitro finish more and kept that tele instead. I only ever really go with Warmoth now for bodies. They communicate well and always do a fantastic job, even if their products have poly finishes.

i was hoping you'd show the mjt body!.. have you ordered warmoth before?.. if so how would you compare them?

My mjt VTT I had built was mediocre feeling, great looking, and great sounding. Communication was on point, and in a timely manner also.

I ordered the Custom Body and Neck(Musikraft) VTL package back in May 26th… almost 7 months in and still not shipped. Be prepared to be patient with these guys, you can get frustrated at times

Their communication and eagerness to please has been good with me. What I will say is the first body I ordered not only reeked of ntiro to the point of stinking up my whole house (had it for 3 weeks before returning it and the smell never faded), but the bigger issue was the paint was just flaking off from touching it or moving it around. It was a bare body, not a built guitar so I never even played it. But everywhere it sat in the house it left flakes of paint all over and it would flake off all over my hands just from touching it.

The second body I have now which I bought second hand has a much stronger finish by comparison. I haven't played it enough to see how it wears, but I tested the finish with my fingernail and a pick it doesn't seem ridiculously fragile although I could get my nail under it and scrape some away if I wanted to. My Fender Roadworn almost feels like it has clear over the worn spots, if you dig at it with a finger nail it doesn't budge.

I ordered an ultra light roasted alder tremolo strat body. It was over 600$ though, but I'd happily pay it again as I'd rank it far over any Fender custom shop I've ever seen. I got to choose the exact color (I actually had color over sunburst over sealer), amount of relic, wear, checking etc. Not a single day since I got it have I regretted that purchase.

Already had a mjt tele body I got off of eBay. Built a beautiful tele. Best checking I’ve ever seen on a guitar. I’m now ordering a full build minus electronics. Hoping it’s as good as my first build. Doing a jazzmaster in black with a 5a flamed and roasted neck. I live in missouri, so I can actually drive down to mjt to pick it up. I’m going to order it as closet clean and let it relic as I play it.

3 MJT T-styles with Musikraft fat necks, SS frets. All 3 above Fender teles. Its all about what YOU like.

My double-bound ash Tele body with no relic took 11 months in 2020-2021. It came out fine, super lightweight but the finish has fingerprints underneath. Not a big deal since it's on the back and I've already beat the shit out of it, but definitely not showroom quality.

I’ve had to Mjt Guitars a jazz telecaster and a John Mayer style fender Strat they’re amazing I specked out a Strat with fender custom shop and did not want to get it however a friend of mine did I wander of gone with Mjt and we had both guitar side-by-side and my guitar was a fraction of the price and 10 times better I’ve had professional artists play my Mjt strat an offer me crazy amount of money for it knowing that I can’t get the exact same one again I’ve been reluctant always to sell it

MJT also does what they call CLOSET CLEAN. This, by their description, is like a guitar played a lot but taken good care of for a long time. And old well taken care of paint job. I have yet to see. So far, Payton is good about communication. Looking forward to getting a unique type body for my Strat. Your remarks encouraging.

I ordered a body and neck from them, it took 11 months and the relic job on the body was terrible. The neck was ok but they did not do what I asked them at all. Would never order from them ever again.

They dont have a poly option, I guess. 😢😮

I have. MJT neck and is absolutely perfect.

Hello. I had a similar experience with MJT. They are super nice and very responsive at MJT. It was weeks in between contacts, but they were doing their thing and updated me when there was anything new to disclose. I think it took 3 months but I had a nice Jaguar build. I chose no relicing but the finish is pretty fragile and it wears on its own pretty fast. I’m happy with my MJT for the price, but I don’t think I’d get another one. I’d want something with a more robust finish.

my dad owns MJT

Their body edge radius on their Jazzmasters and Jaguars (and most of their Strats) is just wrong. Too flat sided (not enough of a radius) and every build I’ve done with an MJT body has just felt like a slab… Bland, “off” feeling, and uninspiring. Their relic jobs look really great but their actual body shapes and contours feel and look kinda cheap to me.

I have a mij body from the 90s and neck made by hand by a Japanese fella thats now in his 80s anyways took half a year to make but was well worth it the neck & body is outta this world i dont need to do anything but just play it super clear, spanky and can handle heavy music like nothing definitely a keeper for life i was almost going to spend 6k for a fender custom telecaster neck orginal or a custom shop guitar before i bought my mij guitar but guess i wont have to anymore😅
Wish you can see it & hear her sing 😢

I just finished a build with an alder MJT Standard VTS (Strat) in copper light relic. The entire process was excellent, and I loved supporting a small business located in my childhood home of Carthage, MO. Turnaround was two months. If that's too long to wait for you, don't get a custom nitro finish body. Look into what it takes to prep and finish a body with nitrocellulose - it's not a thing you want rushed. Mark and his crew are great folks and have their craft honed to an art. And their prices are extremely reasonable. This was my first body I've bought from them, but I doubt it'll be my last.

Would have been great to see the guitar you're talking about

I don’t understand heavy relicing from the get go on thin nitro guitars when they rapidly age by themselves 😅 Even the Fender EJ age really quickly. I love a worn look but many of the MJT people seem to like basically already have 40% of the paint removed I don’t get that. MJT makes nice stuff though, 2 point drilled, 6 screw drilled, lots of weight options, proper contours for the Strat bodies and a variety of colors and aging, great for building a partscaster in my opinion.

MJT not only does "Aged Finishes" bodies. They will custom make anything you want. FYI.

The problem i have with relic'ing is you never really know who actually has good painting skills. I mean if you can glass a body with nitro and make it perfect, there lies the skill. Making nitro look like garbage...well.....i wouldn't say there is no skill involved, but its a lot easier making something look like garbage than making it look perfect. I'm looking for a nitro bass body and although i have high end sprayers (Iwata, Sata jet and Devillbiss) its usually just easier and possibly cheaper to have someone else do it. But yea, looking for a very clean nitro job with no previous relic'ing and i'm not sure who is reputable doing that.

I love my three MJT VTT Guitars.

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